Needed to change my current driving licence for a Spanish one last week. Original licence out of date since January last and thought this would be a problem. No such thing for the Traffico Man in Tarragona! Took one look at my licence, saw that it was out of date and just shrugged and said 'no problem'! I then gave him the following which he photocopied: DNI card,  Passport and driving licence. He returned all to me there and then. I also gave him two recent passport style photographs of myself. He explained that he would contact my country to verify the validity of my driving licence and would contact me by telephone when they were ready to issue me with a Spanish one. Could take up to three months depending on how fast it is processed in my country. I will then return to Tarffico in Tarragona, having taken a small reaction test in Tortosa, pay my €26+. They will issue me with a temporary licence and will post the proper one within a  month. Easy and job  done! Hope this helps anyone who should be doing the same. Is is illegal  to drive here on another country's driving licence once you have been here for 6 months. Could have insurance implications in the event of a claim, I am told.

There is no problem with having a UK licence and being insured in Spain. As long as the licence is a European licence and valid the insurance companies are happy. The law changed a couple of years ago.

Chris
Catalunya Insurance Services

There is a difference between "no problem with having a UK driving licence in Spain" and "Spanish law requires it's residents to have a Spanish driving licence after having residency in Spain for six months". Surely it's in our interests and our moral duty to abide by the laws of the country we choose to live in?

All I said was the insurance companies have no problem with Uk licences. I did not say go out and break the law.

George, I wonder if you would have bothered to change your licence if it was a current UK licence ? I would think that if the Spanish authority check with their UK counterpart if your licence is valid the answer would have to be no as it is months out of date. I also wonder what the Insurance companies view would be if you had a serious accident while driving with a licence that was not valid at the time ?

Does anyone know if George got his licence OK ?  My English one is due to expire next month and so I need to get it changed over.  Also does anyone know whereabouts in Tarragona the Trafico is ?
Thanks.

wrote on Dec 6^th, 2012 at 10:49am:

Does anyone know if George got his licence OK ?  My English one is due to expire next month and so I need to get it changed over.  Also does anyone know whereabouts in Tarragona the Trafico is ? Thanks.

Tony, It is just off of the large roundabout at the bottom of  the Tarragona "Las Ramblas".The Bus station is also off of this roundabout.

http://www.guias11811.es/informacion-contacto/M15175293/JEFATURA-PROVINCIAL-DE-TRAFICO/